Shorthand Group in Central Maine

I ran across this fun article on the ‘dying’ skill of shorthand. It is nice to see some folks getting together and enjoying Gregg together. They meet once a month, and there is a lesson on the finer points of shorthand. Some know series 90, some DJ, and others simplified. It’s a great mix of people, I’m sure. Check it out! Are there groups like this near you?

http://www.centralmaine.com/2013/06/01/shorthand-writers-of-maine-pen-pal-group-keeps-dying-skill-alive/


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    1. Terry!  Start a group wherever you are!  Just place a small notice in a local newspaper.  They will come!  And they will love it!  I want to help start a group in Massachusetts.  I have 8-10 members from there–a nice core group with which to start a club.  It is so fun!

      Kay

      1. Hmmmm… maybe I can send out some feelers to see if there's interest.  But I moved out to the country last year.  I'm surrounded by cow pastures.  We feel lucky to have the internet here because we don't even have landline phones (internet is slow, too– not quite as bad as dial-up but not too far off).  So my location may not be the best.  But a few at church have noticed I take notes in shorthand and are quite fascinated by it and they always comment on it.  One woman was very astonished and stared for a few minutes.  And another woman said her first job was as a secretary using shorthand.  So maybe I can find some interest.  It'd be fun to have more players for my Notehand bingo game.  My kids love it, but I'm sure they'd love more players.

  1. Shorthand Writers of Maine (SWM) started with two people in March 2003.  We now have nearly 200 names on our list–from Australia to many states!  We love reading and writing shorthand.  We share stories, birthday cards, sympathy cards, notes of encouragement, bingo games, crossword puzzles, theory lessons, brief forms/phrases quizzes, dictation, and more!   It is a great way to stay mentally alert and active as shorthand is a challenging, fun skill of excellence and optimum, acute performance.  We meet every month for lunch a half hour and 90 minutes of shorthand fun!!

    I would like to share an incredibly rewarding experience:  

    I glanced at the unfamiliar out-of-state caller ID when my cellphone rang recently.  Something inside told me that this was not a telemarketer though it originated far away from Maine–North Carolina.

    Upon answering, I soon found a very distraught man on the other end of the line.  He gave his name and where he lived.  His Mom, 84, died a few days ago and left all her instructions on where to find her jewelry, safe deposit box key, money, etc. in shorthand.

    He went to the library to sign out a Gregg Shorthand dictionary and found deciphering her notes to be rather futile.   He then googled shorthand online and found our Shorthand Writers of Maine group and a newspaper article which contained my name and phone number.  I assured him I could help him decipher her instructions. 

    We made a plan whereupon he proceeded to take pictures of his mother's notes and text them to me.  I called him back; and after reading the first note, I said to him, "Lift up the rug to the right of the television in the livingroom……you should find money!"  He did. 

    The next note read, "The safe deposit box key is behind the mirror in the hallway."  It was.

    She wrote, "My ruby ring is in a green velvet box in the top middle drawer of my dresser–back right."  There it was!  He found her diamond ring and necklace and other valuables.  There were a few funeral instructions as well.

    As I hung up the phone, I thought of that scripture verse that says “Bear ye one another’s burdens.”  I was so happy to help!

  2. Wow.

    The dead communicated with the living.

    See how powerful shorthand is?  

    Actually, that is a power of writing, in general.

     

     

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